


Where Rainbows Never Die

by BonesintheYard



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Abusive Relationships, F/F, F/M, Will add more tags as I go, abusive!Tom, pregnant!Star
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 09:47:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22967968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonesintheYard/pseuds/BonesintheYard
Summary: Star is stuck with Tom, who's been treating her worse and worse the longer they've been together. But she's trapped. She has an unborn daughter to think about, not to mention the fact that her citizens need this alliance. Will she be able to get out before it's too late?TRIGGER WARNING
Relationships: Star Butterfly/Jackie Lynn Thomas
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I might continue this story, depends on how busy I am and if people like it or not. Please let me know what you think, and as always, if you don't like it, don't read it.

Star flinched when Tom spun to face her. He didn’t raise a hand to her, just seethed, eyes catching fire (literally, he’s a demon). She closed her eyes and waited until she could hear him stomp away. She took a breath and collected her thoughts before returning to the party, a big smile on her face. She walked up to Tom and wrapped her arm through his, leaning on him. She couldn’t hear anything, only an odd ringing fuzzy sound. She could feel his laugh and knew that his face held no trace of the anger that he had displayed only a minute prior. Her gut felt hollow, and she felt lightheaded. But she knew that her face displayed no emotion but happiness, because that was what it had been trained to do ever so carefully for the past two years. 

Ever so calmly she excused herself, giving an empty statement about how she was tired and needed to sit down. She stopped at the food table, eyes drawn to the ‘It’s a Girl!’ plates. Star couldn’t help but wonder how it could be that she felt no emotion staring at those cheesy pink plates. Well, besides the fact that she didn’t even want to know the gender of the baby. And what if the baby’s preferred gender isn’t female? She didn’t want to misgender her own child with society’s strict rules on sex and gender. But she couldn’t even speak up and defend her unborn child. She just cursed Tom privately, like usual. Was this how it was going to be? 

Snapping out of it, she tore her eyes away from the pink plates and kept on walking into the living room. The party was outside, but there were still some people chatting inside. The living room was her best bet. She wasn’t going to go back to the bedroom, where she was alone and vulnerable. Yes, the living room was best. She sat down on the couch, smiling at a couple friends of Tom’s who were chatting mindlessly, completely oblivious. 

She leaned back on the couch, making herself comfortable. Her belly was large enough now to get in the way, which was annoying to say the least. She was always the kind of person to sleep on her belly, but that wasn’t an option anymore. But even so, the idea of something bad happening to this baby haunted her nightmares. And the worst part was that the single most dangerous person in the baby’s life was her father. Her boyfriend of two years. Her captor. 

Tom Lucitor is the prince of a larger, more powerful kingdom. And to everyone else they have the perfect relationship. He had just proposed, she had just accepted. They were set to be married about a year from now. She was pregnant with their first child. The ecstatic father and the weary and pregnant mother. What a trope. 

She couldn’t believe she had gotten herself into this mess. And there was no going back. The stakes were too high now. She was going to be a mother. She couldn’t be more trapped, with both a kingdom and a child on the line. She was barely 23, this wasn’t what she had wanted with her life. A pang of loneliness hit her. 

The first thing he had done was cut out her support network. She could see that now. Of course, since she was the princess she couldn’t just disappear, but he could make it so that nobody asked questions. To them, everything was perfect. Sure, she was busy, more so than before, but she had a kingdom to run. There were plenty of explanations, plenty of excuses. And now she was completely and utterly alone. 

Ironic that she’d think that while surrounded by people at a party for her. Star looked around, feeling almost as if she were drowning. She couldn’t say anything to anyone even if she did get the chance to. Everyone else was living their lives, fighting the fight. Nobody noticed her. No, people noticed her. They just couldn’t see past the fake her. The one that pretended everything was amazing. The one that held hands with Tom and didn’t shudder. The one who didn’t jump when he put his hand on her shoulder. The one who didn’t feel like puking when he ran a hand over her belly bump. 

She jumped when she felt a hand on her hip, eyes flashing open and spinning to face whoever it was. Star sighed, smiling. It was Jackie, eyes wide and hands held up in a gesture of peace. “Girl, what’s got you all riled up? You okay?” Jackie laughed. Her eyes caught Star’s and became alert immediately. “Star, what’s wrong?” 

Star felt tears coming and forced them down. There was no way she could cry at her party, it would ruin it and lord knows what Tom would do. She blinked a few times and sat up. “Yeah, of course I am! How are you, it’s been forever? Even here on Earth we barely ever see each other.” 

Jackie raised a brow but didn’t question her. “I’m doing good. I just broke up with my girlfriend though. I’ll probably have more time to hang out now that I’m not always going over to the next town to be with her.” 

“Haha, probably. Got anyone on your radar?” Star asked, pushing away her own self-pity and focusing on Jackie. The other girl leaned forward and sighed. 

“No. . . slim pickings. I think I’m just gonna focus on me for a while. I don’t want to always have to go elsewhere to date. But enough about me! How about you? You’ve got a baby! Have you two decided on a name at all? I know it’s still early, but still.” Jackie said matter-of-factly, leaning back and waving her finger. 

Star smiled, feeling warmth blossom in her chest. Wow, she missed having feelings that weren’t fear or shame or doubt. “No, we haven’t decided on a name at all. Well, I just need to mull it over.” The fear began creeping back, making the smile fall off her face. She felt as though she would never feel happy again, and the idea of smiling and laughing was impossible. God, why was she always thinking about herself? She had everything! Why was she so sad, she had an amazing life! She was a princess! 

Suddenly she realized that Jackie was talking. “Star, are you sure you’re okay? You want to go for a drive? Let’s go talk a bit and chill.”

“Oooooh, no, Tom won’t like that one bit.” Star whispered, fear piercing through her. She couldn’t leave her own party, that would be beyond suspicious. She looked at Jackie, who was staring back at her with a very concerned expression on her face. 

“What? We’re just going out for a bit, it’ll be fine. I’ll text him now. Get up, let’s go.” Jackie said as she pulled Star up and led her outside. Star followed willingly, torn between desperately needing to get away and fear of how Tom will react. She followed Jackie to the beat up truck she drove and hopped in, taking in the smell of the warm leather mixed in with Jackie’s lotion. Jackie jogged to the other side of the car and hopped into the driver’s seat. The truck started up with a shudder and off they went. 

“Star, what’s going on? You look so sad, is everything okay?” Jackie asked softly as she turned the radio down. Star felt as if her heart was going to break hearing the quiet bluegrass. The Steeldrivers. It had been so long since Star had heard them. When was the last time the two of them had spent time together? Tears spilled out of her eyes. 

“They are your favorite band still?” Star asked, wiping the salty tears away and shaking. 

“Sure are. More importantly, the CD is stuck so I’d be stuck listening to them even if I didn’t want to. Good thing I’m a fan. Really, it’s just given me an excuse to play them more.” Jackie replied, flashing her a smile. Steady as ever, Jackie didn’t even react to Star’s tears. Maybe she was expecting them. In any case, her poker face was unreadable. No, that wasn’t right. She didn’t show any surprise or shock or anger when she saw the tears. All she showed was calm. 

Hiccuping, Star bent forward, looking down. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to put her mask back on. It was broken. Star looked at Jackie and felt her heart skip a beat when Jackie’s eyes flashed over to hers and she showed a hint of a smile. Now she was nervous. There was no going back now. 

“I’m so tired.” Star sighed, putting her face in her hands. “I just. . . . I feel so helpless.”

“Tired? That doesn’t sound like you Star. Is it from being pregnant? Have you talked to your doctor about this?” Jackie asked, concern lacing her voice. 

“No. I mean, I’ve told her that I’m tired, but not the extent of it. I have no energy. No drive. I mean, the idea of socializing at the party seems totally crazy. That’s why Tom was angry at me.” Star said softly, leaning back as she watched the landscape turn from town into countryside. Tears started flowing again as she took in the golden hills dotted with oak trees. The truck slowed to a stop as Jackie pulled off to the side of the road. They were at a deserted picnicking spot. 

Arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Honey, Tom doesn’t get to be mad at you because you’re depressed. He’s supposed to support you, not get mad at you. And it’s alright, I’ve been there. Sometimes do you feel like you’re wallowing in loneliness even though you’re surrounded by people who you know love you?”

“Yes.” Star whispered, eyes closed. She leaned into the embrace, savoring the happiness that was coursing through her. 

“Oh hon, it’s alright. We’ll get you through this. And what about Tom? Has he been supportive otherwise? Tell me more.” Jackie asked softly, falling silent.

Star struggled. Every time she opened her mouth to tell her friend about what’s been happening, her throat closes. Tears are streaming down her face now, seemingly non-stop. She could feel Jackie’s grip tighten around her. 

“Alright, I get it. Star, you don’t have to tell me any specifics, but I do need you to tell me this. Are you safe?” Jackie asked seriously, shifting her body so that she could look Star in the eyes. Star whimpered, wiped tears away again, and grimaced. 

“No.” She whispered. She couldn’t lie to her friend. Not anymore. “Well, I don’t know. He hasn’t done anything. But it didn’t used to be like this. He was doing so much better. But ever since we got engaged he’s gone back to how he was before.” Star thought back to the tumultuous relationship the two of them had had when they were younger. Back then his anger was so unmanageable. It was really bad back then. And she hadn’t had her friends to tell her it wasn’t okay, that this wasn’t normal. Jackie grabbed her hand and squeezed it, making Star jump.

“Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Jackie asked, dropping her hand and cradling it in her lap. Star sighed, staring at the other girl’s sea blue/green eyes. 

“No, you’re good. I just wasn’t expecting it.” Star whispered. She put a hand on her belly, relishing the feeling of the small child moving below the thick layer of skin that protected her from the outside world. She couldn’t look up, she didn’t want to see the pity in Jackie’s eyes. “It’s hopeless. I’m trapped. We’ll be married soon after I give birth. Then there’ll be the baby. I’ll have to protect her too. I just don’t know what to do.” 

Relief washed through her when she spoke those words. She had been stressing alone for so long that she didn’t even realize how desperately she had wanted to talk to someone about it. She heard Jackie take a deep breath next to her and leaned into her friend. 

“And I need to marry him because otherwise the alliance between our two countries is ruined! There’ll be nothing keeping him from attacking us out of vengeance. How many of my citizens would he kill? I can’t imagine him being merciful, he’ll do anything to have me. It’s all he cares about.” Star whispered, barely able to speak. Jackie pulled her closer. “I’m just waiting for him to go a step further. Just waiting for history to repeat itself. And the worst part is that there’s nothing I can do. I just want the old happy Tom back. I just want us to be happy again, like we used to be.”

Star stopped when she heard Jackie start crying. “I’m sorry Star, I’m so sorry. Don’t stop, keep talking.” The other girl said, wiping away her tears. Star reached up and brushed a tear away. 

“It’s alright Jackie. It’s alright, I’m fine. It’ll be fine.” Star lied, discomfort coursing through her. Jackie wiped the tears away and took a deep breath before turning back to Star.

“Star, the most important thing right now is for you to know that I have your back. No matter what you decide to do next, I’ll be right there for you. You are in a really difficult and scary situation. I know that you’re really struggling right now. I’m not going to try to make you do anything you don’t want to do. I’m here for you no matter what.” Jackie said softly, eyes dry now. 

Star leaned back, thinking. She needed to get back to the party. That was the most important thing. Already she knew that she was on thin ice. “Let’s go back home. The party should be wrapping up by now, I don’t want to get back when everyone’s gone.”

Jackie nodded and started the car up again. Star buckled herself in and leaned against the door. “Star, I want you to know that we’ll figure this out. We can find some way to keep you safe. In the meantime you need to stay safe. Focus on yourself and the baby. I’ll be checking in on you as much as I can without being suspicious.”

Star nodded, feeling like she was going to cry again. Instead, she stared out the window and watched the houses zip by as they drove back into town.


	2. Danger Assessment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys! Remember, let me know what you think! Whenever I get a comment, I know that people like my work and I am motivated to do more, better work. Suggestions are welcome, too! <3

It was almost a month before she was able to get back to Earth, to escape Mewni. Naturally, the first thing she did was call Jackie, who left work and picked her up promptly. Star felt herself unwind getting into the woman’s truck, feeling the familiar beaten up leather seats and smelling that odd car smell that seems to be unique to every car. She sighed, resting her head against the headrest and closing her eyes. She could feel Jackie’s concerned eyes on her without even seeing her. 

“Seatbelt, please.” Jackie said, throwing the car into gear. Star complied and they were off. She had no idea how she got Tom to agree to this but somehow she did, and now she and Jackie were going camping. Granted, she was three days earlier than their original date, but she had to get out of Mewni, and Jackie didn’t seem to mind. 

They stopped by Jackie’s apartment, where Star stayed in the car while Jackie ran inside to grab the camping equipment. Then they were off. The plan was to go east, to the high desert, Joshua Tree National Park. Jackie had reservations there and had been planning this trip for a while now. Sure, it was December and it got into the 30’s at night and rarely went above 60 in the daytime, but that didn’t take away from the beauty of the place. More importantly, she was eight months pregnant and camping seemed like a crazy idea, but she’d done far crazier things. 

They stopped by a convenience store where Jackie ran inside and bought necessities for the trip. There was no water at the site, so everything you needed had to be brought in. Except firewood. That had to be bought there. Star yawned, relishing her good mood. She was grateful that Jackie hadn’t been pestering her, she could probably tell that Star didn’t feel up to talking right now. The past few weeks had been harrowing, and while she was sure that she’d tell Jackie everything at some point during the trip, right now all she wanted to do was relax in the warm car, in the impossibly comfortable car seat.  
Jackie walked out of the store with a cart filled to the brim with supplies. Star smiled and jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind her, pulling plastic boxes out of the back of the truck and putting them on the ground. Jackie smiled at her and began packing everything into the empty boxes. Star watched her, knowing that Jackie knew where everything went better than she did and that her help would probably be rejected. 

“What are you looking at?” Jackie asked with a chuckle, glancing up at her. Star grinned, stooping lower. “No, seriously, stop.” She continued, but she was still smiling. 

Star hefted a box into the truck, turning away from Jackie regretfully. This was her knight in shining armor, keeping her sane when it seemed like all hope was lost. Jackie helped her push it to the back of the truck bed, and when their shoulders touched Star felt a physical shock. Confused, she shook herself off and grabbed the next box. 

“Star, I can take care of that, why don’t you go sit back down?” Jackie suggested, putting a hand on her shoulder. Star shook her head, smiling back at her.

“I’m pregnant Jackie, not an invalid. I am perfectly capable of picking up a box, even if you have to push it into the truck because my baby belly won’t let me.” Star said with a small giggle. Jackie laughed too, helping stuff everything into the truck bed. 

They spent much of the next hour in a comfortable silence, sporadically talking about the music or the view, but otherwise simply enjoying the drive. Star loved being in a car on road trips. She looked down at her baby bump, running a hand over it. She was just starting to feel really comfortable when the kid shifted inside her and started pushing against some important organ. Groaning, she shifted around in an attempt to make the pain go away. 

“You alright, Star?” Jackie asked, glancing over at her. 

“Urgh, yeah, fine. Little demon decided to start kicking something important. Demon-child.” Star said with a groan. Then the kid started moving around again and was now kicking her bladder. “What they don’t tell you is that the wonder that you’re growing a child inside you goes away after a while. Then it’s just being incredibly uncomfortable for an ungodly long time.” 

Jackie laughed, then grabbed Star’s hand and squeezed it. “Well, I’m in wonder of you, even if you aren’t. You’re amazing.” 

Star felt warmth rush into her face, and turned to look back out the window, squeezing Jackie’s hand in return. 

“I just wish Tom was more supportive.” Star said quietly. “He’s been making this so much more stressful than it has to be. It’s been awful. I just asked my mom and dad to cover some of my duties so that I can take time for the baby. I’m almost considering just leaving it all behind, running away. I just feel so alone in Mewni. But I can’t, not if there’s any chance that he’ll take it out on my kingdom. Oof, I just don’t know what to do.”

“Well, what about Tom’s parents? They’re still around, right?” 

“Yeah, they are. But he’s been gaining more and more power while they’re retiring.”

“Okay, well maybe you should let them in on what’s happening if you think they’ll support you. Maybe they can keep Tom in check. Maybe you should let your parents in on what’s happening and they can talk to Tom’s parents about the best way to keep you safe. Especially when the baby is coming so soon. You’ve only got a month before your due date, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. January 20th.” Star replied, grimacing. She was dreading that date, dreading when the baby would be seperated from her. Then they would be especially vulnerable.

“Okay, well know that I’m here to support you any way I can. If you need a place to stay, an espace driver, anything, I’m here. Just a phone call away.” 

“Thank you, Jackie. I’m sorry I’m being such a bummer.”

“You’re allowed to feel things, Star. You’re allowed to be afraid, now it’s not only yourself that you need to protect from him, you also need to keep that baby safe. You’re allowed to be sad. You loved Tom before he started treating you like this. You love him now. It’s complicated, and you’re allowed to feel complicated feelings. 

“And you’re not being a bummer, you’re being human. Of course I’m sad and scared for you, like any good friend would be, but most importantly I’m gathering as much information as I can so that I can keep you as safe as I can. And you need to talk to people who will listen, just for your mental health. It’s important to talk about trauma, it makes the load easier to carry. Trust me, I’ve been there.”

“You have?” Star asked, looking up at Jackie, whose face was grim. 

“Yep. When I was 13 my best friend’s brother sexually assaulted me. It took me a long time to tell anyone, and even longer to feel comfortable talking about it with people that I trust. I mean, it’s still hard and I think that it always will be. But before I confided in someone, I was so filled with anxiety. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, couldn’t stop replaying it in my head, couldn’t breathe. I was spiralling. Then my teacher, who I was very close to, noticed something was wrong and asked if I wanted to talk. Everything just spilled out and I was free again. I could breathe again. And sometimes I’ll start to feel like that again, like when I get triggered by something. I know now that when I get triggered, my friends are there to help me, so I talk to them.

“Besides, almost everyone has been through something like this. Even if it’s not abuse or assault, everyone goes through some kind of trauma at some point. Maybe they were in a car accident and know what it’s like to get triggered, they can relate.” Jackie said cooly while pulling off the highway. 

“I’m so sorry you went through that, Jackie.” Star said, watching her friend closely. Jackie glanced at her and smiled. 

“Thanks. But right now I’m more concerned about you. I was attacked ten years ago, what’s happening with you is current. It’s going on right now. We need to find a way to keep you safe, physically and emotionally. You need a plan, Star. I’ve been doing some research, and I’ve got some print outs. Among them is a risk assessment. I know it’s going to be hard, but I would really appreciate if you’d fill it out. You don’t need to show me anything, I just want you to be able to quantify the danger you are in in a palpable format. Kapish?”

“Kapish. I’ll do it. I’ll fill it out.” Star said, looking around outside. “What are we doing?”

“Grabbing lunch. We can go through the handouts while we’re eating.” Jackie said while parking the car. “It’s kind of a tradition of mine to eat at Rubio’s on a road trip. It started when I was a kid traveling with my family and then just kind of stuck. Do you want to wait in the car while I grab the food or would you rather come with?”

“I’ll come inside, I need to go to the bathroom.” Star said, hopping out and following Jackie inside. She ordered a burrito, then went to the bathroom quickly. Fortunately, the place was almost empty and their food was ready in a couple minutes, which Jackie said was abnormal at the very least. Star chuckled at her shock, then dug in. Jackie rummaged around in her backpack, pulling out a clipboard and pen along with a bunch of papers. 

“Here you go, why don’t you fill that out. I’ll just be right here, let me know if you want to talk. And you don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.” Jackie said, unwrapping her burrito and leaning back against her seat. Star took the clipboard and pen, looking at the sheet of paper attached to the clipboard and sighing. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before reading the first question. 

_1\. Has the physical violence increased in severity or frequency over the last year?_ Yes, definitely. He was always kind of controlling, but ever since she got pregnant, it had gotten much worse. Then, after he proposed he started getting physically abusive as well. 

_2\. Does he own a gun?_ No, he doesn’t need one. If your fiance was a demon who could blast you out of the sky with a flick of the wrist, would you consider that equal to owning a gun? She checked yes. 

_3\. Have you left him after living together during the past year?_ No, how could she? 

__

_4\. Is he unemployed?_ No. 

____

_5\. Has he ever used a weapon against you or threatened you with a lethal weapon?_ She thought of the time last week when he threw a ball of fire at her, missing by several feet, but still close enough that she could feel the blast of heat as it flew by. Yes. 

____

_5a. If yes, was the weapon a gun?_ She figured a ball of fire would fit into this category. 

_____ _

_6\. Does he threaten to kill you?_ He’s never said it out loud. And yet. . . ball of fire. Yes. 

______ _ _

At this point Star felt tears come to her eyes, and she wasn’t even halfway done. She let them fall, wiping them away before they could land on the paper. She felt Jackie’s hand rub her back, and was grateful for the support. 

______ _ _

_7\. Has he avoided being arrested for domestic violence?_ They were the perfect couple. He’s never let anyone see the real him, and she’s never been stupid enough to let anyone but Jackie see what was actually happening. She had a kingdom to think about, and if the court learned about this, it would be an absolute nightmare. 

_______ _ _ _

_8\. Do you have a child that is not his?_ Thankfully not. 

________ _ _ _ _

_9\. Has he ever forced you to have sex when you did not wish to do so?_ At this she squirmed in her seat. He had never forcibly restrained her. . . but then again, what about all the times she said that she wasn’t in the mood and he had pestered her for so long that she finally gave in? What about the times she was drunk and he hadn’t listened to her? She felt herself shudder as she checked off the yes box. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_10\. Does he ever try to choke/strangle you or cut off your breathing?_ Yes again. Twice now he’s held her in a choke-hold for several seconds. 

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

_10a. (If yes) has he done it more than once, or did it make you pass out or black out or make you dizzy?_ Yes, he’s done it twice, but never for long enough to make her dizzy. 

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_11\. Does he use illegal drugs? By drugs, I mean "uppers" or amphetamines, Meth, speed, angel dust, cocaine, "crack", street drugs or mixtures._ No, he’s a golden boy. 

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_12\. Is he an alcoholic or problem drinker?_ No, which was kind of crazy in its own right. 

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_13\. Does he control most or all of your daily activities? (For instance: does he tell you who you can be friends with, when you can see your family, how much money you can use, or when you can take the car?)_ Yes, definitely. He hardly ever lets her out of his sight. She was still shocked that he’d let her go camping with Jackie. 

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_13a. If he tries, but you do not let him, check here._ She squirmed uncomfortably again, wondering if she should be fighting him more. She checked the no box and moved on quickly. 

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_14\. Is he violently and constantly jealous of you?_ Yes, he wouldn’t even let her see Marco. He was jealous if he saw her talking to any male of any species. 

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_14a. For instance, does he say "If I can't have you, no one can."_ It certainly sounded like something he would say. She grimaced, this wasn’t looking good at all. 

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_15\. Have you ever been beaten by him while you were pregnant?_ She could feel the bruises he put on her back lingering from last week’s assault. It wasn’t often that he actually hit her, but when he did, it wasn’t pretty. 

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_16\. Has he ever threatened or tried to commit suicide?_ No, definitely not. She was actually surprised by this, she had heard that this was a very common tactic, and she only just now realized that he had never done anything of the sort. 

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_17\. Does he threaten to harm your children?_ She thought of the fight that had lead to him attacking her last week. He had been absolutely furious with her for some reason still unknown to her, and had grabbed her baby bump so hard that she had instinctively shoved him away. She realized that he could very easily have caused her to miscarry in that attack. He didn’t care about the baby. She felt a physical shock reverberate through her body, and she put the clipboard down on the middle seat. 

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He doesn’t care about whether or not the baby lives.” Star said softly, lifting her shirt up to show Jackie the faint bruising from his fingertips. “We got into a fight last week. He could have killed her. He doesn’t care. She’s in danger, so much danger. I thought that he cared about her, that she would be safe from him. God, I’m so stupid.”  
“Star, you are anything but stupid, look here. It’s normal to think that your spouse will care for your child. He’s been acting so happy and excited, who would guess that he’d put her in danger?” Jackie said, looking at the bruises with a horrified expression on her face. “Star, it’s alright, we can keep her safe, we can keep you safe. We’ll figure this out.”  
Star shook her head, crying, thinking about all of her responsibilities back home. She mopped up her tears and snotty nose and picked the clipboard back up. 

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_18\. Do you believe he is capable of killing you?_ At this, she almost broke down. She forced herself to answer it honestly, and checked off the yes box. 

_____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_19\. Does he follow or spy on you, leave threatening notes or messages, destroy your property, or call you when you don’t want him to?_ Yes, all the time. She wiped away more tears. 

______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_20\. Have you ever threatened or tried to commit suicide?_ No, thank god. But she’d thought about it a couple times in the past few weeks. Never seriously, only fleeting thoughts, but they scared her nonetheless. 

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She turned the page to see a scoring mechanism on the back. She couldn’t bear to see the results, not yet. “Jackie, can you count up my score please? I don’t know if I can see the results yet. I need the get ready for them.” She handed Jackie the clipboard and started eating her burrito despite the fact that she was nauseous. She watched Jackie’s expression turn from carefully blank to sad, desperately sad. She watched her flip the page from front to back while scribbling the scores and adding it up. 

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Are you ready? Do you want to hear it?” Jackie asked, finally looking up and making eye contact with Star, who gulped and nodded. “You got a score of 26. Anything above 18 indicates extreme danger.” 

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Star let out a dry sob, bending over her legs and crying her heart out. Jackie scooted closer to her, wrapping her arms around Star and pulling her in for a hug. Star reciprocated, crying into Jackie’s shoulder and squeezing her tightly. Jackie’s breathing was steady, but Star could feel her heart pounding and knew she was scared. 

_______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I’m so sorry Star, we’ll get you out of this. When we get to the campground I’ll pull out those flyers and we’ll talk about the best way to keep you safe.” Jackie said quietly, giving her a quick squeeze before letting her go. “You ready to keep on driving? We’ll feel better when we’re in the middle of nowhere desert. And tonight the stars will be magnificent. You’re safe with me, Star.” 

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Star nodded, disentangling herself from Jackie and leaning back against the car door. The car started with a satisfying rumble and Star retreated into her own mind, eventually falling asleep against the window.

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End file.
